Pink Ballet Shoes
by StKiara
Summary: A delightful mixture of "The Sound of Music","Mary Poppins","Princess Diaries","VictorVictoria","My Fair Lady", and "Star" to tell the story of Eliza and her daughter, Julia, adventures with the von Trapp family.
1. Chapter 1

"And do you have a name?" The ballet teacher asked as she bent down to the young girl. The girl just looked up at her instructor. Her instructor was so tall that she had to crane her neck to look up to her. The young girl loved the color pink and her instructor's outfit was decked up in the color even to the tip of her nails. After a moment of smiling a nearly toothless smile, the girl finally got up enough nerve to lisp to her instructor, "My name is Julia Maria Wells, and I am going to be six on Tuesday, and I'd like a pair of pink ballet slippers." Her ballet instructor grinned back, "That's very nice, Julia, pink's my favorite color as well." Julia just grinned with her toothless smile and looked up to her ballet instructor.

"Okay, Children," the instructor clapped her hands as if a sign for all her students to get in line for her daily lessons to start. It was a class of seven girls, each ranging from five to eight, and the soon to be six year old girl was her favorite student already. The little girl had an elfish face and a rolled up nose that would wrinkle up when she giggled. She had a long body, but she was still a little child with a little mind for anything but singing and dancing. The little girl named Julia reminded her of her friend Eliza, in which she hadn't seen in some odd seven years.

"I would very much enjoy it if all of you would get started on your stretching."

"Yes, Miss Andrews," the girls chanted in unison as they went to their stretch. Little Julia squeezed in between two larger girls already getting started on their stretches. The two girls looked down at Julia and squeezed her out from in between them. "This spot is saved for someone this tall", the girl to her left said, as she raised her hand right above Julia's head. The girl on her right, who looked almost exactly like the girl on her left, snickered and said 'You have yet to grow to stand here.' Julia, being the tough and stubborn girl she had always been, she stood up on her tip toes "I'm tall enough now", Julia said as she struggled to fit in between the two alike girls and made sure they both saw her tongue sticking out at them. Before the girls could do anything Miss Andrews came in with her long strides.

"Get in line please Julia," Miss Andrews said as she walked in front of the girls and started her stretches as well.

"How was dance Julia?"

"It was great mummy!" Julia exclaimed as she started twirling around the kitchen table.

"Julia, set the table like I told you." Julia's mother said with a smile that she couldn't help but show. "I told you that a special someone was coming for dinner."

"Yes, mummy. Who is it again?" Julia said as she tried to reach for the plates her mother had just finished washing and placed on the counter tops.

"You can call him Mr. von Trapp. He's going to be interviewing me for a housekeeping position."

"Oh, well we have to live there, mummy?" Julia asked as she began to place the forks and knives on the table.

"Julia, I know how you hate to be moved around, but if we must, we must." Her mother sighed with a sort of pain of the thought of moving Julia to a new "home" again. The truth was that this was Julia's third home this year. Do to the lack of money flow they had been reduced to a small one room apartment that it turned out to be quit compatible for the two of them, but not much for a guest to fit in. Even though they had no guests come for a visit ever, do to their constant change of address. Eliza, Julia's mother, could hardly stand moving around so much and the embarrassment of poverty. She figured with this new job it would open up a greater advantage for Julia to be successful in a new "home". Yet, it would still be close to where Julia could take her dance lessons. Eliza trusted the dance teacher with Julia. The dance instructor was a past friend of Eliza's and Eliza knew her dancing ability and her personality. The instructor, Victoria Andrews, was a known dancer around the musical theatre world ever since she had dressed up as a man for a show and called herself Victor.

In mid-thought, Eliza could hear a knocking on her door. Eliza knew it was Mr.von Trapp, a whole hour early before he was scheduled to be present. "Just as a captain, early," Eliza thought out loud.

"Julia, straighten up," Eliza said as she began to twist and stroke at Julia's clothing and hair.

"Mummy, stop it," Julia droned as she stepped away from her mother's arm length. "Hello." Julia said blandly as she stared at the man before her who had just walked into her home.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hello," said the man. He had a baffled look to his face as he looked down and almost tripped on Julia's mother who was on her knees trying to get to Julia to straighten up her outfit and her hair some more.

"Oh, Hello, Mr. von Trapp," Eliza said as she struggled to get up from the floor. "I was just trying to… I mean… Would you like to have dinner now or would you rather have the interview first." She said as she stood up straight to make it look as if she had excellent posture.

"We shall eat first and interview later," the captain said as he took off his hat and coat and gave them to Julia's open arms and toothless smile.

"I'm Julia, and I'm going to be six on Tuesday, and I'd like a pair of pink ballet slippers." Julia had to say her sentence in muffles do to the coat and hat covering part of her mouth. The man she noticed stood erect and his head nearly scrapped the ceiling, his clothes were perfect, everything about him was perfect, except for a coldness that he put off when he spoke.

"That's nice Julia, but you should be studying and getting ready for school. Not such frivolities as dancing should get in the way of your school learning." Mr. von Trapp said looking down at Julia and then towards the kitchen table. Julia suddenly had a flashbulb idea of kicking the man in the shin and running out into the hall of their apartment complex, but she cast aside that idea when she smelled the wonderful aroma of her mother's cherry pie now resting on the stove cooling. Her thought was cast aside with other another plan she had just thought of. It was amazing what the smell of pie could do to a little girl.

"I am so sorry Mr. von Trapp!" Eliza exclaimed as she started to wipe the mashed potatoes off of his black pants.

"Ms. Wells…" Mr. von Trapp started to say as he stood upright as Eliza got too close for comfort, wiping off the mashed potatoes. The captain shot a look towards Julia; it was her who had dropped the bowl on to his lap. She just gave him a grim look as she shoveled a mouthful of the mashed potatoes on her plate into her mouth.

"Julia, go get me a wet towel," Eliza said in a panicky voice. "I am so sorry Mr. von Trapp!" The dinner was going no where near well and Julia was proving to be a complete menace. So far she had managed to dump her drink over the green beans, fling her fork across the room, and now drop the bowl of mashed potatoes all over his pants.

"Ms. Wells, please control your self," the captain said as he brushed her helping hands aside. She slowly stood up off her knees. Her face was flustered and her blue eyes stood out from behind her red tone and her dark brown hair surrounding her face.

"Really Mr. von Trapp, she's usually much better behaved," Eliza shot Julia a glaring look, "she's just excited."

"The child has an unusual way of showing excitement," Mr. von Trapp snorted as he wiped off the remaining potatoes that he would not permit Eliza to wipe off.

"If you just excuse me sir, I'll just put her to bed and I'll be right with you."

Julia began to protest to her mother statement about bed, but thought better of it once she saw her mother's face of frustration. She finished chewing her water logged green beans and was escorted to the other side of the room behind a curtain where her and her mother slept side by side. Julia looked back at Mr. von Trapp before her mother slid the moth eaten curtains back on a shaky rod.

"What are you doing out there?" Julia's mother asked quietly, as she slipped off Julia's dress and slipped on her night shirt.

"Mummy, I'm not tired," Julia objected. The child had enchanting blue eyes, just like her mothers. She knew just how o use them against her mother to get what she wanted. It wasn't working to her advantage this time and the girl knew it. He mother just smiled and tucked her in underneath her quilt and she started to sing softly to her daughter.

"Stay awake, don't rest your head  
Don't lie down upon your bed  
While the moon drifts in the skies  
Stay awake, don't close your eyes

Though the world is fast asleep  
Though your pillow's soft and deep  
You're not sleepy as you seem  
Stay awake, don't nod and dream  
Stay awake, don't nod and dream"

Julia could feel her eye lids getting heavy and the warmth of her quilt comforting. Her mother's voice was soothing and she drifted off into dreams. Eliza looked down at her daughter and gently stroked Julia's bangs aside and kissed her forehead lightly. She slowly got up from their bed, as not to disturb Julia from her light slumber, and she slid the curtains aside, turned around, and closed them again. She took a moment to calm her nerves before she could turn around to face the captain again.

"Amazing display of motherhood," Mr. von Trapp said to Eliza's back.

"Thank you, Captain," Eliza said realizing she still had a grip on the curtains. She turned around and walked back towards Mr. von Trapp.

"I would like to see your references Ms. Wells," he let out his hands for the papers he had requested.

"Oh, I don't ever have references; I believe they are terribly old fashioned."

"Hmm… I see… I usually require references, but I feel complied to give you a try."

"Oh, thank you, Captain!" Eliza grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously. "Now, we must discuss finance and housing."

"Right, housing… you and your daughter shall stay in my mansion, and finance… we shall discuss later, I am already late for another event. I shall see you on Tuesday then."

"Oh, yes captain! Thank you again sir! But…" Eliza had suddenly remembered her daughter's Birthday coming up on that Tuesday.

"But what?" Mr. von Trapp asked with the same baffled look on his face that he came into her home with.

"It's Julia's birthday on Tuesday, and I had something planned for that day."

"Well, Tuesday is the only day. If you want the job then I expect you to be there at 9 o'clock am. No exception, you're there or you are not, I can easily find a replacement."

"We'll be there," Eliza mumbled, feeling her heart drop for her daughter. "One more question…"

"Yes?"

"How many children of your own do you have? And what about your wife, you haven't tolled me about her yet," Eliza asked. The Captain looked towards where Julia slept, and then he looked down at his hands.

"I have six children and I am a widower."

"SIX CHILDREN! With Julia, that makes seven!" Eliza gave the Captain a worried look. "Oh… I'm sorry about your wife," Eliza was embarrassed about her outburst. She felt like she had a right too though, he hadn't specified that before he gave her the job.

"Right… I must be off; I have another engagement I must attend. I well see you Tuesday?"

"Umm… Yes, we well be there with out things," Eliza said as she got up and walked Mr. Von Trapp to the door. She gave him his coat and he left rather abruptly, a nod of his head, and he was gone. His footsteps were like a march and Eliza could still hear the thud of his shoes as she leaned against the door and let out and enormous sigh of relief.

_Seven children? What's so fearsome about that?_ She thought as she started to clean up the kitchenette.


	3. Chapter 3

It was middle of the afternoon and Julia could feel the sun shinning brightly above her kissing her cheeks with beams of light. Being a Saturday, she was out of school for a whole two days and could do whatever she pleased, as long as her mother thought it with in reason. This afternoon Eliza thought it with in reason to take Julia to the park. Considering the little girl would be missing her birthday for her mother's new job with the rather large von Trapp family.

Racing over to the swings, they were her favorite whenever she went to the park, Julia felt like she was flying. She kicked up little pebbles from the playground as she flew to the swings. The swings were new; they had just appeared about a week ago. They were quite an improvement from the rusty chains and wooden seats they had before, the new shiny silver swings with forest green seats were wonderful. Julia loved the new swings, they didn't pinch her fingers when she held onto the chain and she didn't get splinters in her behind anymore.

"Mummy, come and push me," Julia said as she sat down in swing, with a larger then life grin on her face.

"No jumping off this time, or you'll have to stick to the slide," her mother said as she walked around and behind her daughter. She grabbed the swing from behind and shoved her daughter into the air. Julia was giggling and laughing and giggling some more, Eliza loved to hear her laugh and giggle like that.

"HIGHER!" Julia shouted from the sky.

"I think you're going high enough," Eliza said as she pushed her daughter higher anyways.

Eliza had decided to disguise moving as a birthday gift for Julia, she figured she would be more accepting of it then.

Julia pumped her legs back and forth; her legs weren't as effective with her mother pushing her higher from behind. Her blonde hair flew every which way, and every once in awhile a few get-away strands would fly into her mouth. She hated that she had to let one hand go of the chains while swinging at the same time just to remove the hairs from her mouth.

Lifting one finger at a time, off the chains, she slowly removed the hair sticking to her lips and tongue. Her swing started to twist and turn she firmly grasped the chains again, on either side with both hands. Terrified of being wrapped in the chains, she shoved herself off of the swing and she went flying through the air. It was then that she remembered her mother's words, "No jumping off …"

She landed on her two feet and hands, she felt like a frog. Standing up from her frog like position she started shaking the chalk dust, from the pebbles, off of her white and pink laced dress. It was her favorite one and she was usually very careful whenever she wore it.

"Julia Maria Wells!"

Julia's eyes got big from the sound of her full name being called out.

"I tolled you before I started pushing you! No jumping off of the swings!" Julia slowly turned around to see her mother's face red with anger.

"The swing was twisting. I had to jump. Or… Or I would have died," Julia grinning inside, this was her best excuse ever and her act was to perfection. Her face was serious and grim as if she believed what she was saying.

"No explanations," her mother said with a sigh. It was hard to be mad at Julia. Period. She was a creative girl, always romping about, singing and dancing.

Eliza felt a tiny body come at her in full force and wrap around her legs. Smiling, Eliza hugged her daughter back. "Let's get you back on a swing. You can jump off only when you think you're going to die, other wise, your tush stays on that swing seat."

"Yes ma'am," Julia grinned as she raced back over to the swing she was previously on. Eliza followed behind humming a song that she was making up as she went along.


	4. Chapter 4

It was now late afternoon and Eliza never felt safe in the park at dusk. So, she gathered up Julia, who had two new bruises, and they walked back to their apartment. They didn't live far from the park, just about two blocks. With in a good walking distances Eliza always thought. Julia never thought the same way about the walk there though. She would wine and complain the whole way there and then when they had to go back. Going back she was always quieter, she was tired, which actually served to Eliza's advantage. Julia had no energy to run out in front of her and get lost in the crowd.

Today, Julia was so tired she could hardly walk. Her legs felt like rubber and she was panting like a dog. "I hate walking home," she groaned. "I'm tired. I'm thirsty. I'm hungry." She started to stomp her feet as she walked.

"Oh hush Julia," Eliza groaned back. She stopped her daughter and picked her up, just to avoid anymore of her complaining. She would have to endure more of it the next day and the day after that once they began packing and getting ready to leave.

Eliza had to struggle to get the keys to her apartment from her purse. She had carried Julia nearly the whole way home and up the few stairs it took to get inside their apartment complex. Luckily there apartment was on the first floor and she wouldn't have to carry Julia much longer. Julia wasn't as little as she used to be, being that children grow, and her being asleep with her body limp didn't help Eliza much either.

"Why ello, Ms. Wells!" Eliza could hear a man's voice call out to her. "Why don't you give me the little tike?" He was already grabbing for Julia from her arms.  
Once he had her in his arms she grinned to see Bert hushing Julia as she began to stir in his arms. Eliza was always happy to see Bert. He was the type of man that never thought to press his advantage and his blood was blue. He was around her age, early 30's so she figured, and he was usually dirty from head to toe. He was a chimney sweep at night sometimes and he would be covered in the soot, his dirtiness never bothered her though. It was odd to see him so clean and bright as a penny this afternoon.

Eliza fished around for her keys for a long while, to realize she had stuffed them in her pocket. She was a bit embarrassed but she figured it was better that she found them there then no where at all. She unlocked the apartment door and swung it open. She stepped inside to flick the light on before she took Julia back in her arms.

"I'll take her now," Eliza said as she wrapped her arms around her daughter's waist. Julia woke-up and turned to her mother's arms and wrapped her arms around Eliza's neck and closed her eyes again. Eliza smiled at Bert, "we went to the park today, she's all tuckered."

"I can see," Bert grinned, "She's getting so big."

"Yes, I know," Eliza said somberly looking at her daughter and stroking her hair softly. "You want to come in for coffee, tea, or juice?"

"You know I would normally take you up on that," Bert smiled, "but I must be off."

"Oh… yes. I should put her to sleep anyways," Eliza nodded her head towards Julia. She started to turn around into her apartment but she turned around to face him, "before I forget Julia and I are leaving Tuesday morning. I got a job with the von Trapp family." Eliza forced a smile. The cold captain gave her a bit of the shivers; he was so stiff and unyielding.

"It'll be alright," Bert could since her worrying, "he isn't so bad, just think of all the whistles and the children marching." Bert laughed as he said this. He settled down when he saw Eliza's frightened face.

"Goodness, you'll be okay darling," Bert gave her a side hug.

"Do you think she'll be alright there?" Eliza said looking at Julia.

"She'll be alright, but she won't be able to romp around there like she does here."

"How do you know so much about that family anyways?"

"I did all six of their chimneys, they aren't very tidy people."

"Well… I know someone who can fix that. I can make that a snap," Eliza winked at Bert.

"You ought to put her to bed now. I think her mouth has a leek."

Eliza laughed as she said good bye to Bert and walked inside their apartment and placed Julia on the bed. She slipped Julia out of her dress and slithered her into her night gown. Julia moaned once, while Eliza was getting the night gown on over her head, but she soon fell asleep. "I love the park" Eliza thought out loud.

"WAKE-UP!" Julia shouted excitedly to her sleeping mother. "Today's my birthday!" Julia started jumping up and own on the bed, popping Eliza up and down. "Where's my surprise?" Julia asked as she laid flat on her stomach by her mother, breathing in Eliza's face. "And why are all my things in suitcases?"

The apartment room had about five large suitcases two large forest green one's, one medium sized one in a navy blue, a little pink and purple one for Julia's stuff, and Eliza had a carpet bag. The suitcases held all their positions from pots and pans to Julia's dolls. Eliza opened one eye to see a complete view of Julia's blue eye staring at her. She glanced over to the only window in the room, by the kitchenette. The sun was just beginning to rise and the clock on the wall read 7:00 am. She looked back at Julia, her nostrils now flared from her inpatients growing for an answer to her questions.

"I have to take you to your surprise," Eliza yawned. Slowly she sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Go get dressed in your white dress with the blue satin sash," that was Eliza's favorite dress of Julia's. Julia hopped off the bed and went to one of the boxes.

"Where is it?" She continued looking.

"Julia, I hung it up on the chair there," Eliza pointed to the chair that was about ready to fall into pieces. In fact, that's exactly what it did when Julia whipped her dress of the back of it. Julia looked down at the chair and then other to her mother. Eliza, just smiled, "it's okay, just get dressed." Julia continued dressing herself after her mother's reinsurance.

"Is Bert coming with us?" Julia asked excitedly. Whenever Bert was with them her mother always led them to magical places.

"No, not today. We won't be seeing Bert for awhile."

Eliza got up in a yawn. She was tired from packing all last night. She could have lay back down and fallen right back asleep, but she knew she couldn't. She had an hour to get ready, feed Julia and get to the bus station to get to the von Trapp's house.


	5. Chapter 5

Eliza and Julia were all ready to go, and without delay they were struggling outside the door. Eliza was left with four bags to carry, since they were all too heavy for Julia, it was a fight to get through the door way. She had to have Julia try and carry the medium sized bag, since Eliza never allowed anyone but herself carry her own carpet bag.

"'Ello, Mary!" Eliza could hear Bert's voice ring out to her. Eliza's face became red as she turned to Bert.

"It's Eliza," she said through gritted teeth, "not Mary." Eliza gave him a warning look.

"Right," Bert took off his hat and scratched his head, "Right. I see you two are off now." He gave Julia a smile.

"Yes, Bert, mummy said we won't see you for awhile," Julia said with a cheerless face.

"I know, but smile dear, I'll see you again." Bert was on one knee and holding Julia's chin up. "Now, what are you doing with so many suitcases?" Bert said as he rose up again, "Aren't you staying inside the house? And doesn't the captain have a chef and all that nonsense?"

"Well, yes… but I have no other place to put all our other things," Eliza said as she continued to struggle with the bags through the door way.

"How about I take what you won't need, that ought to lighten your load a bit?"

"Oh Bert, I couldn't ask you to do that," the truth was Eliza didn't want to leave all her things with him. He was a trust worthy man yes, but she was always very protective of all her things.

"Well, how about you bring all your things into my apartment and we see how it looks in there, and then you can make your decision." Bert grinned and gave Eliza a wink. Eliza knew exactly what he was getting to and she followed him down to his apartment.

"Julia, I need you to stay right here while Bert and I get things done," Eliza placed Julia against the wall. Julia just nodded her head and stood there watching her mother and Bert walk into Bert's apartment with all the suitcases.

Bert closed the door with his foot, but he didn't manage to close it all the way, he hadn't noticed. Julia on the other hand had noticed the door not fully closed and with her eagerness growing she ran up to the crack between the wall and the door and peaked inside.

Through her peering she could see that Bert dressed just as he had lived. His apartment was covered from floor to ceiling in soot, Julia let out a little giggle at the site. She clapped her hand over her mouth when she saw her mother turn around to the sound. Luckily the door went unnoticed and Eliza and Bert continued their conversation. Julia could hear her mother mumbling something about the carpet bag and Bert agreeing with her. She watched as her mother walked over to the carpet bag that had been set on top of Bert's table. Then she watched as her mother shoved in all three suitcases inside the little carpet bag with great ease. Julia gasped at the sight and she could hardly contain her excitement and surprise. Her mother had that bag for all her life and she had never seen so much stuff fit into it. Julia watched intently as her mother closed the bag effortlessly and then gave Bert a friendly embrace. She heard them say their "good byes" and then her mother started walking to the door. Julia rushed to her spot on the wall.

Eliza frowned as she found the door swung open with ease. She glanced over at Julia, who was playing with her hands. She looked back at Bert and gave him a nod. She then walked over to Julia and took her hand.

"Say your good-byes to Bert darling."

"Good-bye, Bert," Julia turned and waved to Bert as she walked backwards with one of her hands in her mother's. Bert gave her a wink and waved "good-bye" to Julia as he watched them leave.

"Don't stay away too long now, Mar…" this time Bert caught him self, "Eliza." Eliza turned and gave Bert a grin and turned the corner with Julia now following at her feet.


	6. Chapter 6

The bus ride seemed to take forever for both the women. Julia hadn't stopped asking the day old question, "Are we there yet?" and Eliza always gave her the same answer, "Just a little further." Then Julia would rest her head against the window and watch the cows in pastor and the horses grazing on the open meadows. And then she would turn to her mother and ask her question again to receive the same answer.

Eliza loved the bus ride. Even though the length of time it took to get to the captains house was getting to be unbearable. She liked to watch the cows at pastor and the horses grazing in the open meadows. She loved Genovia, it was all she ever knew. She grew up in a small village close to the palace and she was bale to see her Queen in the garden walking about with her King. She always imagined a love like that for her own life, but she never managed to get it quite right. Well, that wasn't all that true, she had loved once, and she pulled on the ring that hung around her neck. That's how she had Julia. But that was a whole other story that she hated to remember.

The bus came to a sudden jerk and halt. It sent Julia into the seat in front of her; she held her hands out so she wouldn't be rammed too hard into the seat in front of her. Eliza's neck was now in a little pain from the sudden jerk. She rubbed it in attempt to vanquish the unwanted feeling of pain pulsating through her neck.

"Grab your bag, Julia."

Julia went to grab her bag and her mother's carpet bag. She wanted to see just how heavy the bag was since her mother had put the other three suitcases inside the little carpet bag. Julia was surprised to find the bag to be lighter then her own suitcase, as if it were empty. Eliza noticing her daughters in trust in the carpet bag quickly grabbed it from Julia.

"Thank you darling. Spit spot! We walk from here."

Eliza and Julia walked off the bus and on to the gravel road. The road didn't carry on too far and it was a rather scenic route. Julia was quickly side tracked to a horse trainer in the process of working with a cream colored pony. Julia stood upon the wooden fence and watched the two working together till her mother called her back.

"Come along Julia, you aren't wearing your play clothes right now."

Julia ran back over to her mother and occasionally looked back to the horse trainer and his pony.

"Are we almost to my surprise now?" Julia asked her mother as she started kicking up gravel.

"Yes, just to the end of the road," Eliza answered as she began together up her strength.

"Woah," Julia gasped as the Captain's house came into view. The wall surrounding the house had been covering it up from their view. "This is my surprise?"

"Yes," Eliza tried to seem confident, "This is our new home." She looked down to Julia for a reaction. But her child showed no emotion at all, she continued to stare at the house behind the iron gates and surround walls.

"Is this the…"

"It's the captain's home and now ours, too," Eliza finished her sentence.

As they became nearer to the gate they could both hear shouting and yelling coming from the entrance of the house.

"No! I do not wish to stay, even if you paid me a million dollars a day! Those brats can not be controlled!" They heard an angry women's voice yelling out.

"Please Fraulein, you must stay! I can't watch the children; I have enough trouble cleaning the house. You have to stay!" Another women's voice entered pleadingly.

"OH NO! That worked last time, but this time it's not going to. Those children and that Captain well be the end of me!"

Eliza and Julia were now opening up the iron gates. The women who had been yelling angrily came storming by them. "Thank you deary, I see they had a rush order for a new one already! Well… Good luck! Good luck with them all!" And the woman was off down the gravel road with her suitcase in hand. Eliza just watched the woman's large back side sway back and forth as she waddled away mumbling angrily to her self down the road.

Julia had placed herself behind her mother and had a hold of her mother's black coat.

"Well… You must be the new Fraulein." A woman old enough to be Julia's grandmother walked up to them both. She was dressed nicely for a housemaid, a black dress with buttons down her back and a white lace apron. This was the woman pleading for the other woman to stay, Eliza realized. "Hello doll, you can come out now." The old woman was looking down at Julia, giving her a warm smile. "Are you okay dear?" the woman directed her gaze to Eliza.

Eliza looked frighten, and she knew it. She tried to look happier, but she found it hard to after the display that had just taken place.

"Oh… umm… Yes, I mean no, I am the new housekeeper." Eliza stuck her hand out to the old lady. The woman stood there looking Eliza and Julia over before she shook Eliza's hand.

"I'm Frau Schmidt," the woman put her own hand in Eliza's. "I didn't know we were getting a new housekeeper." The old women looked confused.

"Hi! I'm Julia and today's my birthday!" Julia came from behind her mother with a smile. She liked this Frau Schmidt; she was a nice lady with a warm smile. And she was giving Julia another one of her warm smiles now.

"How old are you today?"

"I'm six years old," Julia said as she held up six digits with her fingers.

"That's nice darling," gave Julia a pat on the head. "Now, follow me, I'll take you both to the Captain." Frau Schmidt turned around and started walking up towards the house. Eliza grabbed Julia's hand and they walked up to the huge double oak doors, following closely behind Frau Schmidt.


	7. Chapter 7

Eliza and Julia looked around the entrance of the mansion in awe. It was a grand hallway with doors on both side and two separate wings to the house. The hall was painted a light sky blue and it was furnished with an old Victorian style yet it suited the style of the day.

Frau Schimdt walked bow-legged, and it was even more apparent inside then it was out. Her gate could almost be classified under a waddle but it wasn't that severe. She walked up the third door on the left and gently tapped three times with her knuckles on the sold white door. Eliza heard a grunt from the other side and watched as Frau Schimdt disappeared behind the door.

"Captain, we seem to have a problem," Frau Schimdt told the Captain as she began to close the door behind her and cross her hands over her stomach. The Captain looked up from his papers and set down his black ink pen. He was going over old reports and signing forms.

"What seems to be the matter?"

"Well, Sir, we seem to have fresh meat that has come to take my job, Sir." Frau Schmidt said with her chin held high and her voice strong with sarcasm.

"Hmm… Yes, there does seem to be a misunderstanding. I've forgotten to fire you haven't I now?" The Captain said with a smirk. The old women gasped at the news of her replacement and let out disapproval "OH"! "Is there… Something the matter Frau Schmidt?"

"I have been here for five years, Captain. I believe that I have held myself to your high standards and…"

The Captain stopped her in mid-sentence. "Go bring Ms. Eliza in; I will fix this little problem." The Captain smirked at Frau Schmidt. The old women smiled with relief and turned to go get the Girl and her daughter. "Wait," the Captain said, "I go out there instead." He scooted himself away from his desk and got up on to his feet and followed Frau Schmidt out the door.

The hallway was empty of anyone. The Captain noticed a door that was ajar and he could hear mumbling in the room. He quickly grew irritated with the thought of the mother and child roaming about his home unsupervised. He walked up to the second door on the left and swung the door open. He had caught Julia in mid bow and Eliza walking around the room. He startled them both and with one stern glare they both were scrabbling out of the room.

"You will kindly remember that some rooms in this house are off limits," the Captain said through tight lips.

"Oh yes sir," Eliza said with fear in her eyes. Just five minutes in the house and she was in trouble.

"Why?" Julia asked from beside her mother. The Captain glared at the child.

"Children should not ask "why" to an order." The Captain clasped his hands behind his back. "Now, I hear we have a misunderstanding."

"Yes, Sir, Captain," Eliza said shakily.

"Well… it seems as though we are in need of a governess not a housekeeper." The Captain glanced over to Frau Schdimt. "The job is yours, if you think you can control self and the child. Especially the child." Julia tugged on her mother's dress, to get her mother to lean down to her. The child whispered in her mother's ear and her mother stood up erect again. "Is there something wrong?" The Captain asked.

"Just the way you speak to me and my daughter, Captain. And Julia has to use the restroom, Sir."

"I see. Frau Schmidt… Show the girl to the nearest restroom." The Captain continued to stare at Eliza and he signaled for Frau Schmidt with his hand to take the child. "Follow me into my office, Ms. Eliza." He turned around and started for his office, he turned back around to notice that she wasn't following him. "Are you coming Ms. Eliza?"

Eliza couldn't feel her body; she didn't want to move from her spot. The man frightened her, but she was curious to know what he wanted to tell her in private. She gave him a nod and took a few shaky steps towards him as she gathered her strength some more.


	8. Chapter 8

Mr. von Trapp still could not bring him self to ask Eliza to leave. He sat on his desk and gave Eliza a signal to sit down in the leather chair in front of him. There was something about the women that he liked. He couldn't put his finger on it but he knew he could not let her go. She was just right for the job as a Fraulein to his children. She seemed like she could mold his young breed.

"Now, Ms. Wells, it seems the job opening I had offered to you was a mistake." He clasped his hands together and laid them on his lap. "However, it does seem as though a job as a Fraulein has opened up."

Eliza had a flashback of the large women who had stormed out of the house who was obviously placed in that position as Fraulein previously. Eliza was actually considering taking the job, even with the women's warnings ringing in her ears. She thought of Julia, of the environment she'd be placed in. Of course Julia would have to give up ballet. The mansion was farther away then what Eliza had figured before. Besides that she only found one negative to taking the job, it was the Captain's strict attitude towards all things. She came up with an idea as she looked at the Captain trying to make a decision quickly.

"I'll give you one week, I'll know by then," Eliza spoke sharply.

"You will give me… us a one week trial period?" The Captain said bemused. "My dear, it is I who should be giving you the week."

"Never the less, I shall take the job on a one week trial, deal?" Eliza said with her hand held out to the Captain. He took it reluctantly and eyed her suspiciously.

"Okay, since this has been settled you should meet the children. Hmm… Stand up." The Captain glanced over Eliza as she stood up, "Turn around. It's the dress. You have to change into a new one before you meet the children."

"But I don't have another one." Eliza said as she looked down at her dress. This was true it was the only dress she owned all her other jobs they had given her a uniform to wear. So she never bothered to buy any dresses but the one.

"I see."

"I can make my own clothes," Eliza said with a grin.

"I'll have fabric sent to you, today if possible," the Captain said rubbing his chin. "Follow me," he started moving towards the exit of his office. Eliza started to follow behind him but had to run back to where she was sitting, she had forgotten her carpet bag.

Julia and Frau Schmidt were now waiting in the hall. For a house with six children it was fairly quiet. No one could see or hear the three children peering down at the little girl and her bother from the upstairs banister. They were the three oldest children of the von Trapp family. The other three children were inside the nursery playing with dolls or reading books. It was Liesl who was sixteen going on seventeen, Friedrich who was fourteen, and Louisa who was thirteen who were hanging from the banister.

"Where did he get this one from?" Liesl asked as she analyzed the women and her daughter.

"I don't know, but how did he get her so quickly?" Louisa asked as she glanced over to her older brother who was staring glossy eyed at the women now bracing her child in front of her.

"I don't know and I don't care! She's pretty!"

"Oh, hush, Friedrich!" Liesl rolled her eyes.

"I've been collecting spiders," Louisa said bright eyed, looking towards her sister for approval.

"No, not this one, we need something better the spiders," Liesl began to think, "We'll do something at dinner but I have an idea for right now. Go get Corky, Friedrich."

"Not Corky, he's my favorite!"

"We'll all go get him," Louisa said as she slithered from the edge. The other two nodded in agreement, Friedrich grudgingly.

The three snuck into e nursery unnoticed to find Kurt, their eleven year old brother, playing with an action figure and Gretl, their five year old sister, playing house with her stuffed animals and dolls. The nursery was never tidy, the room looked as though a hurricane had blown through just the one room and left behind mass destruction. There was one sibling missing from the scene. It was Brigitta, she was ten and usually kept her nose in a book around various places in the mansion.

"Go on and get it," Liesl commanded Friedrich as she leaned against the wall, kicking toys away from her feet.

Friedrich, with slumped shoulders, made his way through all the toys to the restroom. He walked inside and looked down into the toilet bowl. Onside the porcelain thrown swam a large, green, and leopard spotted frog. The boy reached down into the water and grabbed the frog.

"Sorry boy," Friedrich mumbled to the frog as he stuffed it into his front pocket. It was a good thing he had rather loose pants on or the frog would have surely been squished. "I got him," Friedrich whimpered as he stretched his pocket out for Liesl to see the frog sitting inside.

"Okay, usual formation," Liesl called out to the children. The five kids in the room got in order from oldest to youngest. The order went Liesl, Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta (who was missing), and Gretl.

Before Liesl could make her next command over her brothers and sister there was a loud and high pitched blow of a whistle being sound from the main hall. The children fell out of their formation to reform the same thing in the outside hall. They then heard a series of whistles and like soldiers the children quickly turned and began their way down the main hall.

Eliza watched the children marching towards her. She counted the children just to make sure there were really six children. Every time she counted, she only came up with five children.

The five children stopped in the middle of the hallway. Julia stood with her hand over her mouth to refrain from giggling at the sight of marching kids. Coming in from another room was a girl walking with her nose in her book. The girl slowly brought her book down to see her father's face in front of her own. He held out his hand for the book and she promptly closed it and placed it in his hands. She went to the empty space in the formation of children and she bent forwards. Her father tapped her butt with the book and the girl turned around and stood-up straight beside between her Kurt and Gretl. Now that was an even six Eliza thought.

"These… Are my children, Fraulein," said the Captain.


	9. Chapter 9

"Meet your new Governess and her daughter, children, Fraulein Eliza and Julia." The Captain announced as he presented Eliza and Julia to his six children.

The children stood as statues, with their arms by their sides, chins up, and their backs straight. The only thing that moved on any of them, even the littlest girl at the end of the line, was their eyes. Which were all wondering in Eliza's and Julia's direction. The Captain went down the row of children scanning them for imperfections. He came across his eldest son and straightened the knot on his uniform which had gone askew.

"Frau Schmidt," the Captain called out for his housekeeper. "Order a small uniform for Ms. Wells' daughter Julia."

"Yes, Captain," and the old women brisk fully walked away with her instruction.

"Now Fraulein, listen carefully. I will whistle the child's signal, they will step out and call out their name and then you shall have a try at it." Eliza was too flustered to respond to such a radical statement. For all she knew whistles such as the Captain's were for dogs, cats, and other such animals.

The Captain blew his whistle, not waiting for a response from Eliza, to signal his first child. The first girl in the row of six, she was obviously the eldest, step out and shouted out her name, "Liesl". She then quickly stepped back to her position in line. The Captain then blew a slightly different whistle and the boy, who was next in line, stepped out and shouted "Friedrich" and just as his sister had done before him he stepped back into his place. The Captain blew a somewhat different whistle for each one of his children who would then respond by marching out and declaring their names to their new Fraulein. All but one said their name. The little button nosed girl with braided blonde hair. It took her father two blows of his whistle for her to just step out but being so young and nervous she forgot to call out her name, Eliza thought it was cute.

"That's Gretl," the Captain grinned. Eliza grinned back at him but his grin quickly faded away when he realized he was showing a bit of a weakness.

The Captain removed a shiny silver whistle from his pocket and handed it to Eliza. Eliza looked disgusted at the Captain's offering of the whistle. "Go on take it, the children will help you." Eliza glanced back at the children she caught a gleam from Liesl's eyes that she didn't trust. Then out of no where there was a loud shriek of a whistle being blown. Eliza quickly directed her attention down to Julia immediately. The girl was holding the whistle to her lips and was in the process of taking in a deep breath for her next go on the whistle. Eliza ripped the whistle from her daughter's lips and gave her a stern look. All the von Trapp children were laughing which gave Eliza's stern look no power at all. They all stopped laughing however, from one glare from their father.

"I won't need the whistle. I'll just use their names. They all have such lovely names." Eliza gave a warm smile to all the children. The children smiled back to the revelation of no whistles. Their father glanced over at them and their smiles quickly faded.

"You will take this whistle and learn to use it, this is a rather large house and I do not want to hear yelling!" The Captain said aggressively. Eliza took the whistle reluctantly. "And for when I need you this will be your signal." The Captain began a chain of whistles.

"Captain!" Eliza yelled, "Sir," The Captain gave her a dirty look for her interruption of his whistle blowing. "I can not respond to a whistle sir! Whistles are for dogs, cats, and other such animals! Not for humans and certainly not for me, sir!"

"Hmmm… Were you this much trouble in your previous jobs?" The Captain asked rather sarcastically.

"Much worse, Sir," Julia responded. The Captain gave out a "Humph" and began to walk away. There was another loud whistle bursting the silence in the room. The Captain turned around and almost instinctively looked down at Julia. He noticed the child was standing still for once. He looked to Eliza who was pulling the whistle from her mouth.

"And what's your signal, Sir?" Eliza said innocently. The Captain glowered at her and gave her a forceful smirk.

"You can call me Captain." He then turned and walked out of the room back towards his office. Eliza smiled and put the whistle in her pocket with no intention of taking it back out. "Now," Eliza directed her attention back to the children, "at ease," Eliza joked. The children followed her direction and became "at ease". Eliza was surprised by this but ignored it,"if you could tell me your name and how old you are again."

Liesl stepped forward, "I'm Liesl, I'm sixteen and I don't need a governess."

"I'm glad you told me Leisl, we can be just good friends."

"I'm Friedrich, I'm fourteen, and I'm impossible!"

Eliza chuckled at Friedrich, "And who told you that?"

"Fraulein Helega, four governesses ago."

"I'm Brigitta." The girl just stepped back. Her brothers and sisters started to giggle at her.

"You forgot to tell me how old you are… Louisa." Eliza grinned at her catch.

The sister who was reading her book when she came into the room stepped forward. "I'm Brigitta, she's Louisa, she's fourteen and I'm ten. And I think that is the ugliest thing I have ever seen!" The girl said looking at Eliza's carpet bag sitting by her feet.

"Brigitta, you shouldn't say things like that!" Her brother standing next to her told her.

"Don't you think it's ugly!" Brigitta protested.

"Well yes, but what is it?" The boy inquired.

"It's a carpet bag," Eliza stated.

"Like you carry carpet in it?" The boy asked.

"No, made of," Eliza corrected him.

"Oh… I'm Kurt, I'm eleven, and I'm incorrigible."

Eliza laughed again," congratulations."

"What's incorrigible?" Kurt asked.

"I think it means that you don't want to be treated like a boy." Eliza defined. The boy was contempt with the definition of the word and stepped back. The smallest girl in line tapped her foot impatiently at Eliza. "Yes, you're Gretl. " Eliza remembered her name quiet easily. The little girl held up five fingers," and you're five years old? My you're practically a lady!" The girl giggled at Eliza's comment. Julia was becoming jealous of all the attention the von Trapp children were getting and she wasn't getting any at all. She pulled on her mother's dress to remind her mother that she was there. "Oh yes, sorry Darling. This is…"

"I'm Julia, I'm six, and today's my birthday!" Julia interrupted her mother. Liesl gaze softened a little bit at hearing it was Julia's birthday. She had officially decided on her own that they wouldn't mess with Julia, not unless the girl called to be messed with.

"Well I have to tell you all a secret. I've never been a governess before so I'm going to need as much advice as you can give me." Eliza told the children. Louisa smiled at her two older siblings.

"You've never been a governess before?" Louisa asked distrustfully.

"Nope," Eliza smiled.

"You have got to tell father to mind his own business," Louisa told her and she started walking towards Eliza.

"And always be late to dinner." Her siblings followed in her lead. "And always slurp your soup! Sluuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrppp!" Friedrich make a slurping nosy. "And always blow your nose during desert!" Kurt ordered.

Friedrich looked over to Liesl who nodded to her younger brother. He pulled out his frog and gently slipped it into Eliza's pocket of her over jacket. Friedrich gave Liesl a grin when his task was done and Liesl gave him a quick wink.

Eliza was being suffocated by all the children surrounding her and she couldn't find Julia in the mass. "Don't listen to a word they say, Fraulein Eliza!" Eliza could hear a small voice from below.

"Oh, why not?"

"Because I like you," Gretl answered simply.

"Okay children," Frau Schmidt came walking back into the room. "It's time for your walk, your father's orders." The old woman started to scoot the children out the front door to walk around the grounds. "I'll show you to your rooms deary." Frau Schmidt made a move to grab Eliza's carpet bag. Eliza quickly got in her way and grabbed her carpet bag before Frau Schmidt could get to it. Eliza just grinned to Frau Schmidt's who showed a face of utter suspicion.

The children walked slowly to the front door. They won't to see if their new precious Fraulein would notice the frog that had been stuffed into her coat pocket.

"Why doesn't Julia join us?" Brigitta asked as she reached for the door first. Eliza smiled at the thought of the children accepting Julia.

"If you want to, Julia, you can go for a walk. Besides it'll be good for you to learn where everything is. Then you can come back and tell me." Julia smiled at her mother and hugged her waist and she ran off to join the von Trapp children who were still slowly making their way to the door.

Eliza started to make her ways up the stairs once again behind Frau Schmidt. "What poor dears," Eliza said as she could feel something squirming around in her pocket. She stuck her hand inside her jacket pocket to find something cold, slimy and uninviting. She pulled out the frog and looked at it with a sigh. "Julia, would you mind letting this go by the pond?" Eliza said as she handed the frog to Julia's opened hands. Julia grabbed the frog and it let out a loud "croak" as the little girl squeezed it too tight.

"No, you're hurting him!" Friedrich cried out as he came and snatched the frog from Julia. He gasped as he just let it out that he was the one who slipped it into Eliza's pocket. Eliza knew though that it wasn't just his idea alone he could tell by the looks on the other kids faces. "I mean, I'll let him go." He tried to recover.

Liesl looked away when Eliza tried to make eye contact with her. The children then walk quickly out the door, with Julia in the middle and little Gretl tailing close behind.


	10. Chapter 10

"You're a lucky one," Frau Schmidt said as she got out her keys from her pocket.

"Oh", Eliza said half way paying attention to what the old women had to tell her.

"With Fraulein Helga, it was a snake." At this remark Eliza gave a gasp, frogs were one thing but snakes were a whole other matter. "Here you go!" Frau Schmidt held open the door for Eliza to enter the room first. Weary of the woman's words Eliza walked into the room suspecting a booby trap hand made by the children.

Eliza was actually quite pleased with the room, it wasn't Buckingham Palace, but it was clean. It only had one bed and one dresser, only enough room for one person. Eliza and Julia had become accustomed to each other and sleeping by one another, but this was a beyond smaller living quarter then they had already held. _'How could tow people possibly fit into this one room?'_ Eliza's mind began to wonder to the other two doors connected to the room as well. One of the doors lead to a bathroom that connected to another room and the other door was on the other side of the room and Eliza suspected it to be locked.

"Julia well sleep in this room here," Frau Schmidt said directing Eliza's attention to the room that connected through the bathroom. Eliza was a little disappointed to hear of her daughter's new room, it was going to be a big change to sleeping alone again. But, She would manage, just like she had done before. "Her uniform will have to be fitted, someone might be here later on today or early tomorrow morning."

"I don't want her to have a uniform," Eliza frowned to the thought of a child restricted to a uniform. Not being allowed to get it dirty and to just be children.

"Sorry, deary, but its Captain's orders, now this other door," Frau Schmidt lead Eliza to the door across the room. "This room is off limits."

"Why?" Eliza stared at the door willing it to open.

"I can't tell you why, lets just leave it at that," Eliza just nodded her head in agreement already planning to take a look inside once the old women had left. "Now, you have a wonderful view of the garden from here," Frau Schmidt pointed out as she to her long strides towards the window. Eliza followed behind so she could peer out side to see if she could see Julia with the other children.

From above Eliza could see the children walking sullenly around the grounds. Brigitta walked with her nose in its favorite place, her book. Her book was about a romantic tale of two star crossed lovers who were complete opposites. Freidrich walked everywhere, trying to keep hold of his frog, as he weaved in and out of his brother and sisters. Liesl walked with Gretl's little hand in hers and Kurt had his hands shoved deep into his pockets. Julia skipped along side Louisa, who found the little girls upbeat attitude towards everything annoying.

They wondered into the garden as they continued their walk. No one spoke, the only thing breaking the silence was the sound of Julia scrapping the gravel each time she kicked her self up in her skips. As she skipped she found a pinecone and began to kick it around as she followed alongside Louisa. Kurt was a step or two behind Julia and watched her as she kept kicking the pinecone around. He was intrigued by the game and he ran after the pinecone since Julia's last kick sent the pinecone off course. Kurt kicked it back towards Julia and ran to catch up with her. This time Julia kicked it farther for the two to chase after it together. They went back and forth for awhile until Liesl decided that the two kids were getting to close to her and she kicked it away.

"That wasn't very nice," Kurt exclaimed out a breath. Julia nodded her head, out of breath, and in agreement with Kurt. Liesl just rolled her eyes at her little brother and sat down on the bench by the gazebo. Louisa sat next to her and Gretl sat on Liesl's lap. The other kids plopped down on the grass around her.

"How old are you today again, Julia?" Liesl asked not that she was really interested, but she figured to be a kind gesture.

"I'm six!" Julia held up six fingers. Liesl figured the little girl to be cute, however, she could tell by Louisa's face, that she wasn't amused by the new permanent house guest. Liesl thought it was odd how Julia wanted so much to hang around the one girl that didn't like her.

"We'll have to get Cook to make you a birthday cake," Liesl smiled at Julia as the girl beamed at the word "cake".

"What kind of cake?" Gretl asked looking up to her older sister.

"That depends on what Julia's favorite is," said Liesl as she patted her younger sister's thigh.

"My favorite is chocolate!"

"I hate chocolate! What about carrot cake?" Friedrich suggested.

"Okay," Julia spoke as she lost a little gleam from her eye. Liesl kicked Freidrich in the shin and the boy winced in pain.

"I mean chocolate is okay, too," Freidrich retracted his statement from before as he rubbed his shin. Julia began to smile again. The frog in Freidrich's hands was really beginning to become restless and Freidrich could hardly hold it any longer. "I'm going to the pond." Freidrich announced as he began to stand up.

"Can I go?" Julia asked as she hopped up from the ground as well.

"If you want," Freidrich gave the girl an annoyed look. Julia didn't seem to notice though because she was up and standing beside him and his squirming frog.

"Can I hold it?" Julia asked as she kept glancing at Freidrich struggling with the frog.

"I don't know, he's kind of squirming now."

"I can do it!" Freidrich handed the frog to Julia who took it with wide eyes. The girl held the frog with no trouble at all. It was as if something possessed it to behave for her. Freidrich glanced up to his house and he could see Eliza looking down at him and Julia walking towards the pond. He thought he saw her wink. He wasn't quite sure if it was a wink or not, but he just turned around and continued his walk to the pond.


	11. Chapter 11

Eliza's heart was beating furiously. She couldn't figure out if her heart was beating fast because she was in fear or love or that she got the idea of fear or love from her heart pounding so hard. It was hard for her to distinguish her feelings as she watched Captain von Trapp walking towards her.

They were face to face, Eliza could hardly feel her body except for the little tingles that went up and down her back. The Captain wrapped his arms around her and pulled her towards his body. They were pressed up against each other and looking deeply into each others eyes. Both trying to read the others mind. He leaned down and softly pressed his lips on top hers. He smelled like the ocean and he felt strong. He lifted his face from hers and whispered, "I love you Mary…"

Eliza gasped for breath as she woke-up in a cold sweat. She had twisted her self into her blankets and sheets. She blinked her eyes hard, trying to get the images from her dream out of her memory. She leaned over to her bedside to look at her clock sitting on the edge of her table. It was almost 6:30 pm and dinner was served at 6:45pm. Eliza quickly slid herself out of her bed and slipped on her only dress that she was wearing for the day and began to brush her hair. She peered into her dresser mirror, realizing that was as good as it was going to get, she ran down the hallway and down the stairs to where she figured the dinning room was.

Eliza burst around the corner into the dinning room to find everybody sitting around the rectangular table waiting for her arrival. Captain von Trapp sat at the head with three children on one side and four on the other. The seat across from Captain von Trapp was empty lingering for Eliza to sit in it.

"Good evening Fraulein Eliza," the children said in unison as Eliza slowed down to walk to her seat.

Eliza scooted out her chair and sat down without looking down to see what was lying in her chair. During the children's walk Liesl had come up with an awful plan for Eliza from Julia's and Kurt's little game of kicking the pinecone in the garden. The plan went without fail, Eliza plopped down in her seat and quickly jumped back out of it with an "OH!". Something extremely prickly and large had just pricked her bottom. All the children but Julia was laughing under their breath.

"What an unusual little ritual. Where did you learn that from?" The Captain had on his usual smirk, which was starting to annoy Eliza.

"Umm… No, rumatism," Eliza lied, hitting her bottom to make her lie look true and it was still in pain over the pinecone still laying in her chair. As she sat down she swept away the pinecone and the children sighed with relief and grinned at one another for surviving their trick. "Excuse me Captain," Eliza interrupting everyone who was about to take their first bite of their cold food, "have you forgotten to thank the Lord?" The Captain gave her an irritated smirk and set his fork down and the children followed along. Eliza waited until everyone's hands were clasped together to say her prayer. "In the name of the father, the son, and the Holy Ghost, Lord truly bless us for what we are about to receive, Amen, in the name of the father, the son, and the Holy Ghost." Everyone did the sign of the cross and began eating again.

"I would like to thank each and every one of you for the gift you left in my pocket earlier." Eliza said as she took another bite of her meal. Freidrich swooped his eyes to Liesl who only glanced back at her brother.

"Gift? What kind of gift?" The Captain asked Eliza as he glimpsed around at his children. They weren't known to give spermatic gifts.

Eliza looked around the table and she could see a stern and frightened look in Kurt's eyes and the glares of Freidrich's. "It's meant to be a secret, Captain, between the children and me."

"Well then, I suggest you keep it that way."

Eliza just nodded her head and smiled. However, she took another bite and continued "Knowing how scared and frightened I must have been in a new place, wanting to fit in. You all made me feel so warm and welcomed."

"I'm not hungry anymore, father," Freidrich said as he pushed his plate away.

"Me either," Louisa pushed her plate away as well. Julia looked at them both and followed Louisa's lead.

"I'm not very hungry either, mother," Julia took one last bite and pushed her plate away.

"Is it to be every meal? Or just perhaps dinner, that you will lead us to the wonderful world of… indigestion?" Captain remarked as he set his fork down. "Eat your food, all of you." The children quickly grabbed their forks and forced food into their mouths.

"They're alright Captain, they're just happy." Eliza smiled to herself as her plan was working.

All throughout dinner Eliza felt embarrassed to even make eye contact with Captain von Trapp. Whenever she did make eye contact with him, images from her dream came flashing back and her heart would start racing again. She would have to look away from him for it to stop pounding so loud. Her heart kept pounding so loud she was afraid someone would hear it and what the thumping sound was.

"Is there something wrong Fraulein?" The Captain von Trapp asked he had realized that he had been stared at from across the table by the women for sometime.

"No, nothing," Eliza answered as she diverged her eyes from him again.

"Then why do you stare at me?" the Captain inquired.

"No reason, sir," Eliza answered feeling like a complete idiot for being caught staring at him. She still couldn't figure out why her heart was beating so hard.


	12. Chapter 12

Dessert was being placed on the table when the butler walked into the dinning room with a telegram for Captain Von Trapp. The butler as usual, his nose in the air and with pride in each of his steps and handed the telegram to captain Von Trapp. Eliza watched the man and came to realize that she didn't trust him at all.

"A telegram for you sir," announced the butler behind the Captain's chair and handing him the squarely folded paper. The Captain grabbed it and opened it quickly. He glanced over it, his facial expression was none existent, and so Eliza couldn't tell if the telegram brought bad or good news. Folding the paper back together he set it on the table and began to think how he was going to tell his children what was in the telegram.

"I will be going to Vienna in the morning," spit out the Captain and he just went back to eating his dessert. The dessert was some sort of chocolate cake with a vanilla cream and he found it to be curiously good. The children began to protest to his leaving, he had already been gone for two weeks out of the month so far and he was only home for about three days last month. It was almost as if he preferred to be away from the house than to be anywhere nears it. With another stern look from their father they each quickly closed their mouths and went back to their desserts.

"How long will you be gone for this time father?" asked Gretl as she gave her father a concerned look. She hated it when her father left; there was no one in the house to pay attention to her when he was gone. This wasn't totally true, because her brothers and sisters took care of her very well, and her new nanny adored her already.

"I don't know, Gretl," said the Captain sounding somewhat cold.

"Are you going to go see Baroness Lawrence again?" chimed in Louisa.

"As a matter of fact I am, Louisa."

"When are we going to get to meet her?" asked Liesl.

"Why would she want to see you?" snarled Friedrich

"Well, as a matter of fact you all shall meet her, I'm bringing her back with me and…" pausing to cause suspense for his children "… and Uncle Max."

Each of the children had a large smile on their faces, showing all their teeth, and a few even echoed their father and shouting out "Uncle Max". Eliza looked around the table and smiled along with the children even though she knew not of anyone the Captain had mentioned. She glanced towards her daughter who, too, had on a smile of utter confusion. They had both expected an explanation of the two people, Baroness Lawrence and Uncle Max, but they did no receive one.

When dinner was over all the children were dressed in their pajamas and unwilling in their beds, even Julia. The only child that could not be found after dinner was the eldest daughter, the one who claimed she needn't a governess. Eliza had correct inclination that the girl was wondering the rounds with the young boy who had delivered the telegram. The girl had inquired about him to the butler, who had answered the door when it rang, if it had indeed been the one to deliver the telegram. It appeared to no one but Eliza that the girl had been excused only to go see the boy.

Captain Von Trapp hardly noticed his daughter missing. From time to time he would sneak a peak at the clock and then he would go back to reading his book. He wasn't very interested in his book. Partly because he could hardly concentrate on the words on the pages, his mind would explore the possibilities of Eliza. He had figured her to be soft and malleable, but she had turned out to be firm yet sweet, He found her personality strange, but captivating. He couldn't keep his mind off of her, he tried to think about the Baroness, but she was nothing compared to Eliza he couldn't help thinking.

Upstairs, Eliza was having the same problem. She had received cloth to make some dresses for herself from Frau Schmidt. Eliza had received so new from the old women that the Captain could be gone for up to three months at a time while visiting the Baroness, but she figured this visit to be shorter since he was planning to bring her back home with him. The women also suspected a chance for the two to be married, that he was bringing her to see how she can handle to children. Eliza repeatedly pricked her fingers with the pins as her mind raced about the Captain and her dream. She had to place her fabric down for the night, she was afraid of getting it all red from her finger pricking.

Eliza was on her knees praying for the children and in hopes that they find happiness with their new mother. As she was starting to end her prayers she saw a girl, from the corner of her eye, walking slowly past her and to the door.

"And God…" stated Eliza out loud, "Please help Liesl to realize that I won't to be her friend and that she can talk to me."

"Your not going to tell on me, are you?" interrupted the girl.

"Shh…" was Eliza's response "… in the name of the father, the son and the Holy Ghost, Amen."

"You won't tell father will you?" The girl asked again.

Eliza smiled as she looked at the girl up and down, she was drenched and dirty. She got up to close then window, she looked down and asked, "How on earth did you get up here?"

"It's how we always get up here to play tricks on the governesses. Louisa, can make it up with a whole jar of spiders in her hands!" The girl smiled. Eliza gasped but then gained back her composure. "You won't tell father will you?" The girl asked once more.

"Were you out there all by your self?" asked Eliza. The girl shook her head yes, but then slowly shook her head no when she realized that she couldn't lie to this woman. "Here, you can put on these…" Eliza walked over to her dresser and pulled out a white night gown for Liesl to put on . "When you change we can have a nice long talk."

"Remember how I said I didn't need a governess?" The girl grinned. "Well, maybe I do!" She turned around and went into the bathroom to change.

Eliza was proud of her self for how she handled the whole situation and she walked over to her bed to wait for Liesl. She glanced at her bed and then remembered what the girl had said about Louisa and the whole jar of spiders. Eliza flung the covers and looked at her mattress, nothing was there, she then went to the end of the bed and peaked under the covers again, nothing was there. She laughed at her self as she tucked her covers back in.


End file.
